Since I was a lone girl child, my father and I have been talkers. We don’t talk to other people much, but we talk to each other. About other people. But also about big ideas. Philosophy. Politics. Plants. Every and anything. It has been a way of working through the commodious complexity of daily life. A method for understanding ourselves as much as the world outside of our small sphere.
These days, when I return from assignments out in the bush, we sit across from each other on big leather couches in the family lounge, my mother beside us, completing our sphere. And we talk. We drink tea and we talk. About everything from poached eggs to poaching. About the warthogs I met. “Do you think I could keep one in my flat? They’re just like fat puppies.” About the lions. “You were right, Dad. I’m a wimp.” About the colours, the smells, the sounds of safari. The talking can go on for days, as new memories return. Like a sort of Armchair Safari.
In a way, this blog at Relais & Châteaux Africa is me opening up my family living room to the greater world. You don’t talk back as much as my father. But perhaps enough has been said. The rest, the unsaid, the yet to be dissected and contemplated and rolled over through the mind’s cogs and heart’s strings, I’ll leave to the images to portray.
Below are photographs from our latest safari at Morukuru in the Madikwe Game Reserve. A special lodge beside the Marico River made up of three exclusive-use villas, with their own lounges and leather couches for you to share your own tales between game drives and sundowners.
Find out more about Morukuru in our blog, 10 Questions With Morukuru’s Wild Man.
Arriving at Morukuru with owner, Ed Zeeman
While it began life as a family home, Morukuru was developed into three exclusive villas (Morukuru River House, Owner’s House and Farm House), as the owners wished to share the joy of Africa with others. These images hail from the latter – Morukuru Farm House.
Explore the African wilderness in search of the Big 5 and more elusive creatures, like the wild dog and cheetah, while a dedicated team (including a personal manager, ranger, tracker, chef, butler and housekeeping staff) takes care of your every need. With a private game vehicle and ranger you have the flexibility to head out whenever and how often you wish – whether on game drives, bush walks, fishing trips or bird watching excursions.
